No One Can Help Me
by Lor-Zod
Summary: In which Snape had never been around to know of Harry's fight with Draco. HBP Grey!Harry.


**I have yet to see a story about Draco being killed by Harry in Myrtle's bathroom. I appreciate feedback. I claim nothing.**

* * *

_Draco Malfoy was standing with his back to the door, his hands clutching either side of the sink, his white-blonde head bowed._

_"Don't," crooned Moaning Myrtle's voice from one of the cubicles. "Don't … tell me what's wrong … I can help you … "_

_"No one can help me," said Malfoy. His whole body was shaking. "I can't do it … I can't … it won't work … and unless I do it soon … and he says he'll kill me …"_

_And Harry realized, with a shock so huge it seemed to root him to the spot, that Malfoy was crying – actually crying – tears streaming down his pale face into the grimy basin. Malfoy gasped and gulped, and then with a great shudder, looked up into the cracked mirror and saw Harry staring at him over his shoulder._

_Malfoy wheeled round, drawing his own wand. Instinctively, Harry pulled out his own. Malfoy's hex missed Harry by inches, shattering the lamp on the wall beside him; Harry threw himself sideways, thought Levicorpus! And flicked his wand, but Malfoy blocked the jinx and raised his wand for another –_

_"No! No! Stop it!" Squealed Moaning Myrtle, her voice echoing loudly around the tiled room. "Stop! STOP!"_

"Get out, Myrtle!" Harry roared and with a loud bang, the bin behind Harry exploded. _He's trying to kill me_, Harry thought desperately when his Leg-Locker Curse backfired off the wall behind Malfoy's right ear and when through Moaning Myrtle. Myrtle screamed and flew to her toilet, water gushing over the lid and onto the floor masking her fading echo of a scream.

Harry slipped trying to get behind cover of the nearest stall when the water exploded outwards from a toilet Malfoy had hit trying to get to Harry. Malfoy quickly managed to slip past the water and when he saw Harry he cried out "Cruci- "

"SECTUMSEMPRA!" bellowed Harry from the floor, waving his wand wildly. Blood spurted from Malfoy's face, chest, and limbs. Malfoy stumbled to floor and collapsed with a splash, his wand lying beside him.

"No -" gasped Harry.

He scrambled towards Malfoy, who was shaking uncontrollably in a pool of spewing toilet water and his own blood.

"No – I didn't -," but Malfoy was heaving as more blood pooled underneath him. _The curse had to have cut into his back,_ Harry realized. Harry slipped on the pooling liquid and fell on the Slytherin as he tried to get up and run for help. The impact seemed to do it for Malfoy as his chest gave out from the pressure of Harry's body on it. More blood flowed from his back into the water and soon Malfoy was dead from the loss of blood.

"No … no … no … No! No! No! No!" whispered Harry helplessly, shaking Malfoy to wake him up. No voluntary movement came from the boy who Harry had never liked. Malfoy's corpse just moved from the movement of Harry trying to revive him. "Get up ... get up, get up, get up, get up. Please ..."

The water still spewed, but Myrtle was gone. There were no noises from the hall. Harry's ragged breathing and the spewing water was all that made a sound. Harry looked up to the door and his eyes crossed the sinks where Malfoy had stood seconds before. He saw the glinting of the snake on the tap from the light of the closest lamp. Tears fell dow his cheeks and so much moisture had gathered on his glasses that he couldn't see. Harry began to openly cry. _I killed him! How could things have gone so wrong? Why did I have to follow him? Why did I have to use that curse?_

And as quickly as he grieved, he looked down at his former school boy nemesis and saw the cuts all over where torn robe met skin. On Malfoy's left forearm was a greyish color. _This is it,_ Harry thought, heart pounding even more than it did when he battled the blonde Slytherin. He moved his hand towards the arm and pulled up the sleeve slightly. There it was. The Dark Mark.

A harsh chuckle came up Harry's throat. He whispered to himself without any effort "I was right."

Harry looked back to the door and still he heard no sounds from the corridor outside. The light glinted again on the snake on the tap. Harry looked at it and suddenly, he knew what to do.

_"Open,"_ he hissed to it. The tap moved and sank out of sight. One last time Harry looked to the door to find no one there. He stood and reached for Malfoy's left arm. He used it to drag Malfoy's corpse to where the sunken tap had once been. Harry pushed down on Malfoy and the right arm and head of Draco Malfoy careened over the side into the abyss below. Harry looked at Malfoy one last time from his spot crouched over Malfoy's feet and pushed the feet towards the edge. Both arms and head had now disappeared over the edge. Harry looked over his shoulder to the door and then to Myrtle's toilet stall. Still no sounds came. Harry pushed on Malfoy's feet once more and finally the whole body of Draco Malfoy bloodily slid down the long tunnel that was the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry sighed while standing up. He waited and no longer heard the falling body slide along the tunnel. He looked around at the destruction of the bathroom. He shifted around and with his wand began repairing the damaged room. The black-haired boy started with the lamp that Malfoy blew up next to the door of the bathroom. With quick flicks and thinking _Reparo, _the bathroom began to become look as if there had been no fight.

Looking to the floor, he saw what he'd forgotten. Malfoy's wand still lay there where the blood and water had pooled together.

"Accio," Harry choked. The wand came up to him and he caught it deftly. Examining the nearly black wand, he saw that it was a little shorter than his own. Perhaps an inch shorter. A grinding sound came from Harry's left. The sink was coming back up and the entrance was automatically closing itself. Without a second thought, Harry chucked Malfoy's wand towards the moving sink. The wand bounced off the edge of the sink and disappeared into the abyss where the body lay. The wand audibly clattered down the tunnel once more before it wasn't heard from again as the grinding stopped and the sink no longer moved. The floor still needed to be cleaned. And with a silent _Scourgify_, the large puddle of diluted blood and wet tracks disappeared.

Breathing heavily, Harry contemplated what to do next. He called out "Dobby."

A loud _crack_, and his elf friend appeared. Balancing the tea cozies on his head, Dobby jumped up and down and squeaked out "The great Harry Potter has called for Dobby! Dobby is so pleased that great Harry Potter has needs of Dobby!"

"Dobby enough," Harry said forcefully. The elf froze and looked at Harry, eyes widening at the dirty clothing and tired face of his wizard friend. "Dobby I need you to help me. I need you to apparate with me to the closest boys' shower that has no one in it. I want you to get me clean robes from my trunk and bring them. Then I want you to clean the robes I have on now and then clean this bathroom so it's spotless. I tried and I might have missed some things. You have to be silent and no one should see you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, great Harry Potter sir! Dobby will do anything for great Harry Potter!" Dobby grabbed Harry and with another _crack_, took him to the prefect's bathroom on the 4th floor. Harry took off his dirty robes, covered in Malfoy's blood and looked at them. Some of the blood had dried already. Harry got in the large tub and turned the water and soap faucets on.

A moment later Dobby appeared with his clean clothes. "Dobby, I changed my mind. I don't want those dirty robes cleaned. I want them burned. I never want to see them again. Then I want you to take some money out of my trunk and go to Madame Malkins and get me new ones. She knows my sizes. When they're ready, have them put in my trunk."

With a hurried nod, Dobby snapped his fingers and the blood-stained clothes disappeared. Dobby left again to do as he was told.

Harry sat in the large tub and began to clean himself. After he scrubbed his wand arm, he began to cry for Malfoy and for himself. Soon, however, he sobered up and began to think on the magnitude of his crime. _Had Myrtle left to tell anyone of what happened? Would the professors take his wand and find what he'd done? What had Malfoy been doing? How did it all go wrong?_

_No, _Harry thought vehemently_, I am not going to Azkaban. Malfoy was a fully-fledged Death Eater. He had the Dark Mark, I had to do it. I had to. He was about to cruciate me._ Anger spread through his body when he realized that. Malfoy _had_ been about to use an Unforgivable Curse on him. He was only protecting himself. The curse he used was –

"For enemies," Harry muttered out loud. Enemies like Malfoy, but had Malfoy really been an enemy? No ... but it didn't matter anymore what Malfoy was or wasn't. He had to learn more from the Half-Blood Prince's book. He had to learn more to protect himself and his friends. _But first, I need to cover my tracks. I'll need a new wand. Should I have taken Malfoy's wand? Damn, I'll have to go get it. _

Harry felt his fingers and toes beginning to prune. He had been in the water for too long. He dried himself with a quick spell and got dressed. "Dobby!"

_Crack!_ "Yes? Great Harry Potter sir?"

"Would you protect my secrets?"

Dobby's bulging eyes widened. "Of course, great Harry Potter sir! Dobby would never, never, tell anyone of the great Harry Potter's secrets!"

"How? How can I be sure that you'll protect my secrets? If the teachers ask you about me, you'll have to tell them, won't you? You are a school elf."

"Dobby … Dobby will … Yes! Dobby would have to tell Headmaster Dumblydore great Harry Potter secrets!" Dobby began to shake then wail loudly, punching himself in the ears. Harry quickly grabbed him.

"So how can we make sure you will never tell my secrets?" He asked the elf urgently holding the elf's small hands in his own.

"Dobby would have to leave the school and become great Harry Potter's personal elf! Tis the only way!"

"And how do we make you my elf?"

Dobby's eyes bulged out more than Harry thought was safe. "Dobby is wanted by the great Harry Potter to be great Harry Potter's own elf? Oh, Dobby is so happy! Dobby is so lucky to have a great master like great master Harry Potter!" The elf nearly passed out from his own tears of joy. Harry shook him to keep steady. "All great new master Harry Potter has to do is ask Dobby to be his new elf and great new Master Harry Potter has just done that! Dobby will even work for free!"

Harry smiled a bit for the first time in a few hours and hugged Dobby, and Dobby hugged back, sobbing on Harry's chest.

"Okay enough crying Dobby, I need you to take me to Diagon Alley. We have something to do."

The door opened, causing the bell to tinker in Ollivander's Wand Shop, startling the old wizard. Normally few people came in during this time of the year. Ollivander came out to see a boy he hadn't seen in a few years. "Mr. Potter, an unexpected time to come to my shop."

"Yes, Mr. Ollivander," Harry then sighed. "I need your help."

"Naturally, you need my help. Why else come to my shop? What do you require?"

"I ... I made a huge mistake and ... well ... I might need a new wand." Harry finally came out with. He looked up and saw the old wizard frown and look down at him, searchingly.

"You might need a new wand? You either need one or you don't Mr. Potter. Eleven inches, Holly, and a tail from a phoenix feather. That wand is still in your pocket under your robes right now. Why do you need a new wand? Is it not working properly?" Ollivander reached his arm out and gestured for Harry to give him his wand. Harry reached for his robes and took out his wand and handed it over.

"Priori Incantatem," Ollivander spoke out and saw a gust like a blade come out. A dark severing curse, he suspected, but did not know the particular spell Harry had used. Then followed a few less dangerous jinxes and curses. "Yes, I see your predicament now. You must've been in a grave incident to use a curse like that, but it is not unexpected in these troubled times."

Harry just looked at him, beseechingly. Ollivander relented and turned to a wall with a stack of boxes. "Let's begin."

13 wands later, Ollivander had given up on unicorn hair core wands for Harry. "Try this one. Olive, twelve and one eighths inches, dragon heartstring."

Nothing happened. "Pine, ten and a half inches, phoenix feather." Nothing again. "Perhaps another type of wand. I still have a couple that my father never sold when he made wands. His cores were kelpie hair, Veela hair, and kneazle whisker. Although he did have one from America. Let's see."

Ollivander had practically crawled into a cabinet on the top most shelf. His legs dangled out as his entire torso and arms were not seen. His voice muffled as he spoke. "Ah!" He exclaimed, startling Harry with his muffled voice. Once he had come down, he said "Red Alder, twelve and a quarter inches, tail from a thunderbird."

When Harry waved it, sparks finally flew. "Thunderbirds are very rare. So much so that the Magical governments on that continent are trying to protect what is left of the species. Something our ministry should be doing for our creatures." This last part Ollivander muttered to himself more so than to Harry.

"That wand is best for transfiguration and is very temperamental in the wrong hands. You are rather unique Mr. Potter. Though I would hate to see what other kinds of wands you may need in the future from me. That'll be 7 galleons, Mr. Potter." The old man smiled at Harry maddeningly.

Harry paid and left the shop heading to the Leaky Cauldron for some food before heading back to Hogwarts with Dobby. On his way, he thought about heading to Fred and George's shop and see how they were doing. Perhaps getting some Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder as well, but he decided against it. The less recognizable faces he saw the better, although few were out on street and those that were sped to their destinations and avoided everyone. Harry stopped when he saw the entrace to Knockturn Alley to his left. Looking around to make sure no one saw him, he quickly grabbed his invisibility cloak and put it on. Harry entered the alley known for dark artifacts. It was as spooky as he remembered all those years ago. He was nearing Borgin and Burke's when he saw Cobb and Webb's. The window had books in it. Perhaps some on dark arts like the curse he used to kill Malfoy.

The glass on the door and windows had cracks in the shape of cobwebs in it. Harry leaned down to look at the titles on the books in the display. _Mudbloods: How to Kill Without a Trace, Dragon Egg Recipes, Torture for Fun, Magicke Moste Evile_. Behind the display were shelves with books on them. Harry used his wand and with a quick _Silencio_, stopped the door from making any noise before he could step in. The book shop smelled like decaying rodents. Harry clamped his hand on his mouth and nose and quickly got to the shelves and began looking for books that might seem useful. Within a few minutes Harry had found several books that looked promising. There were books on runes, arithmancy, dark spells, illegal potion making recipes; so many things that Voldemort could be teaching young Death Eaters like Malfoy. _What were the spells and curses Malfoy knew that I don't? Why was he trying to kill me?_ Harry decided to buy the tomes. He grabbed them and carried them to the counter. Looking back at the display case, he took the _Magicke Moste Evile_ book. Maybe that would be handy. He rang the bell on the glass. A witch came out and looked at Harry.

"You're too young for those. Leave, boy." She dismissed.

"What? No, I want them." Harry glared at her. The witch came over to look at the black-haired boy more closely. Her eyes widened when she saw the scar.

"Harry Potter wanting dark arts books in my store? What would Dumbledore say if he knew you had these? What would the Ministry say?" She smirked at him.

Harry had to think quickly. He needed those books. He needed to know what he was up against. "Let's bargain then. You sell me those books and I will be your best customer."

The witch did not look impressed. "I keep my wand clean, Potter. The Ministry knows who I am and what I sell. As long as I don't sell to convicts and children, they leave me alone. Your money means nothing compared to my freedom."

Harry didn't see a way he could win this argument, so he opted to bargain for at least one of the books. "Sell me the potions book at least. I want to poison some Death Eater children."

The witch narrowed her eyes at him before smiling slyly at him. "I like your cheek, Potter. Alright 68 galleons, 7 sickles."

Green eyes narrowed in outrage at the price, Harry swore to himself and coughed up the money. "Nice shop, really." He muttered loud enough for the owner to hear before leaving. Quickly, Harry pulled the invisibility cloak over himself and headed for the Leaky Cauldron. Harry called for Dobby when he saw that no one was around.

"Dobby, did Malfoy ever have you buy things for him? Things he couldn't get himself?"

Dobby shuddered thinking back to the many bad things he had to handle for his old master. "Yes, great Master Harry Potter sir. Bad master made Dobby get many things for him."

"Dobby, listen closely. I need you to get me bad things too. I need you to go and buy all kinds of things for me because they will help me defeat Voldemort."

Dobby gasped at the use of the name, and started twisting his ears, muttering "Great Master Harry Potter wants Dobby's help to get bad things. Bad things that hurts people like bad master."

Harry kneeled down to Dobby's level and said gently "Yes, Dobby. But this way I can protect everyone from people like bad master. We have to do this for everyone we love."

After a moment of Dobby looking at Harry and thinking about it, he agreed with Harry's theory.

"Alright, we'll do everything we need to do later. Let's go back to Hogwarts. I'm too tired to eat here."

"Where have you been?" Demanded Hermione when Harry entered the common room carrying his invisibility cloak and a book. "And what is that book?"

Ignoring her first question, Harry answered "A book, you know what those are, right?"

Hermione looked affronted by Harry's sarcastic reply. "Harry, you've been gone for hours. We all saw you follow Malfoy out of the Great Hall. Myrtle was going through the school screaming about a fight between you and Malfoy. Everyone's been looking for you two."

_Damn_, he thought. _How am I going to explain this one?_

"Well, he's a Death Eater, isn't he? He tried to kill me in Myrtle's bathroom. I got out and I haven't seen him since."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry, how many times are you going to keep this up? If Malfoy really was a Death Eater, Dumbledore wouldn't allow him to be in this school."

"You know what? Fine, if you don't believe me, Hermione, then that is your problem. But he did try to kill Katie with that necklace." She watched her black-haired friend storm up the stairs to his dormitory.

"Where is Draco?" Pansy asked the Crabbe and Goyle in the Slytherin Common Room.

"Dunno." Crabbe said as Goyle grunted in agreement.

"Well, I just came back from the Great Hall and Moaning Myrtle came in screaming about Potty and Draco fighting in her bathroom. I went over to her bathroom and it's completely spotless. No sign of a fight at all. But nobody has seen Draco or Potty."

The two beefy boys looked at each other in worry. Did Potter know about Draco's plans?

"Let's go look for him." Goyle decided out loud. Pansy squealed at that. "Oh let's go together! Maybe we can find Potty as well. I'll hex his eyes out if he's so much as touched a hair on Draco."

"Uh"

"Someone should stay here in case we miss Draco and he comes in alone." Crabbe, this time, was the one to come up with the quick thinking to get Pansy away from them.

"Oi, Greengrass! If Draco comes in here, let us know." Pansy bossed the blonde girl, who was sitting in a chair, writing her transfiguration essay. Daphne looked up and then looked down at her essay and continued writing.

"Let's go, boys." Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other and followed the Pansy out of the Common Room.

The door to the boys' dormitory slammed behind him and Harry sank to his knees and the gravity of his situation hit with full force again. He really had killed Draco Malfoy. But the tracks that led to him were covered, right? The bathroom was cleaned without a trace, he had a new wand, Dobby was sworn to keep his secrets, Myrtle hadn't seen the end of the battle, and Malfoy's body could only be retrieved by him in the Chamber of Secrets. What else was there to do? His new wand! Everyone knew the rumor that he and Malfoy had had a fight. He had to practice with his new wand the spells he used in the fight! He had to have a story that fit his prerogative. His Holly wand, his oldest friend, had to be hidden it had to. He had to move on. Biting back the tears that threatened to consume him, Harry stood up and went to his trunk. He opened it and placed his old wand inside a stack of quills. Taking out his new potions book, he placed that at the bottom of the trunk, under the other school books. Now all he had to do was practice the spells he'd used in the past few weeks with his new wand and then no one would think that he had done anything wrong if they were to check his wand.

"Expelliarmus!" Starting off with his signature spell, Harry was surprised to see that his spells were more powerful, had more of a kick to them. After practicing on a wall for a few minutes, Harry felt satisfied that he would pass any wand inspection from the professors or any Aurors.

"Miss Granger"

Hermione looked up from her book to see the stern face of Professor McGonagall looking at her expectedly. "Professor?"

"Where is Mr. Potter? I have to speak to him at once."

"He's in his dormitory. Professor, so you've heard what happened?"

"Of his alleged fight with Mr. Malfoy? Yes, but I'd rather discuss it with him." With that McGonagall turned away from Hermione and went up the stairs to the right. Hermione watched her go up and wondered to herself just what had happened.

* * *

"Mr. Potter?" Harry heard his head of house ask before she came in and closed the door behind her. She then took her wand out and Harry tensed. Instead, McGonagall silently waved her wand at the door, stopping anyone from listening in to this conversation.

"Professor, what do you want?"

She fixed him with her cat-like stare, "Do you know that Moaning Myrtle is flying about the castle screaming about some fight between you and Mr. Malfoy?"

"I suppose so."

"Well, is it true? What happened? Where is Mr. Malfoy? Why didn't you come to a teacher for help? And where have you been?"

"Yeah, it's true. he's the one who nearly killed Katie! He's the one who attacked me when I followed him! None of you believe me anyway when I say he's a Death Eater! He tried to kill Katie and he tried to KILL ME!" Harry progressively became louder with his shouts as he took his frustrations out on McGonagall. The elder witch stepped back from Harry. She sighed at what she deemed were his childish accusations.

"Calm down, Potter. We are investigating the Katie Bell incident, and you have not brought proof yet that Malfoy did that. Do you have proof now?"

Harry thought back to the Dark Mark on Malfoy's corpse. No, he couldn't prove it without exposing himself as a killer. "No, professor. Just my suspicions."

"Then tell me what happened between you and Malfoy. You followed him to Myrtle's bathroom? Is that why she saw you two?"

"Yeah. He ... he was talking to Myrtle. Malfoy told her that he had to do something. Didn't say what. Just said that if he didn't do something, then 'He' would kill Malfoy and his family."

McGonagall didn't have to figure out who this 'He' was. "Alright, Potter. Then what?"

"Malfoy saw me in the mirror. He attacked me. I was defending myself. Go ahead! Check my wand, you'll see that I'm right!" He thrust his new Red Alder wand at her, hoping that this gamble would pay off. _What if she knew that this wasn't his Holly wand? She must know! She'd seen him use it a thousand times in class._

But it did pay off. Somehow, someway it did. She looked at it, but didn't try to force the issue. So, Harry pushed his luck further and kept going.

"I defended myself, got a few jinxes in and left as soon as I could. Told Myrtle to piss off too. She left screaming her head off and I got out as soon as I could. I tell you, he was trying to kill me! He tried the Cruciatus!"

McGonagall gave him a hard glare when he cursed, and then widened her eyes in shock when he mentioned the Unforgivable Curse.

"Did he really?" Harry glared at her so fiercely that she knew he wasn't joking about that.

"Yeah he used it. I dodged it and got out. So no, I don't know where he is. Maybe he accidentally killed himself. He was firing curses everywhere."

McGonagall let that last jibe at Malfoy go, but told him sternly, "We need to see the Headmaster about this, Potter. Snape too. Come now."

Harry froze at that. Dumbledore would believe him, but Snape? No, Snape couldn't be trusted to take his side. Snape _had _to be in on it. Snape never took his side, no matter what. Snape was too slow to help Sirius. Maybe Snape taught Malfoy those curses. Snape could also go through his mind and see what really happened.

"Snape will never take my side on anything! No, I don't want Snape there. I'll talk to Dumbledore, but not Snape." Harry told his Head of House flatly.

"This involves a student from his house, Potter. Now come."

"Then why don't you see if Snape has found Malfoy? His house, his problem. Not mine."

"Come now!" McGonagall, with surprising strength dragged Harry by his collar and marched down the stairs to the Common Room with him.

The buzz in the Common Room stopped as everyone watched McGonagall, pointed hat and all march down the stairs, through the Common Room and out the portrait hole, dragging Harry behind her.

Hermione thought, _This will be all over the school by breakfast_.

* * *

Snape was already with Dumbledore in the latter's office when McGonagall and Harry arrived. McGonagall shoved the scruffy haired boy into the room.

"Mr. Potter informed me that the fight between him and Mr. Malfoy did happen."

Dumbledore looked at Harry with a slight frown. "Harry, please tell us what happened."

Harry glared at Snape, who glared right back but didn't use his legilimency to probe Harry.

"I followed Malfoy into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I still think he nearly killed Katie."

Snape was about to snarl at Harry, but Dumbledore shot him a look. Harry continued "He and Myrtle were talking to each other. Myrtle was comforting him, I guess."

Harry stopped to take a breath and continued. "He was crying about Voldemort threatening to kill him if he didn't do whatever it was he had to do."

Harry said that last part while looking up at Dumbledore to see nothing in his expression change.

"Then what, Potter?" Snape snarled

"Then the prick saw me in the mirror and started firing curses at me, that's what." Harry snapped right back.

"I don't believe you, you ungrateful boy. Just like your father, getting into fights and bullying people. Always-"

"Enough, Severus! I will not have your petty childhood squabbles brought against my student! I brought my student, now where is yours, hmm? What does Mr. Malfoy have to say to defend himself?" McGonagall asked the Slytherin.

"A good question, Minerva. Severus has not found young Draco anywhere. His friends have not seen him and the prefects are looking for him as we speak." Dumbledore spoke up when Snape didn't.

"Harry, my boy," Dumbledore turned back to the teenager. "What happened next?"

"He started to use curses and I fought back. I got out when he tried to use the Cruciatus Curse on me. I ran. I don't know what else Malfoy did after that."

"Can you prove that Malfoy used that curse on you, Potter?" Snape asked coldly, but was internally thinking _What if Potter was right? Had the stupid boy really tried to torture Potter? Had Draco been talking about his mission to Moaning Myrtle?_

"He tried to use it. Check his wand, if you don't believe me." Harry felt good about his chances of getting off this, but still surely Dumbledore, Snape, or McGonagall would see that his wand was not his original. Surely, they'd probe his mind.

"Severus, you must find Draco. Go now." Dumbledore ordered Snape out. Am I really about to get off? That easily?

"Harry, Myrtle's bathroom was checked. There's no sign of a fight. Did you clear the room?"

"No sir."

"Harry, I must ask you to not go looking for Draco again. Perhaps he has used dark magic against you, but for your safety, I implore you to not go after him again. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir, but what if he is a Death Eater?"

"It doesn't matter if he is one or not. He is still young, like you. Impressionable. However, you still need to be punished for fighting in school. 40 points from Gryffindor and two weeks of detentions."

McGonagall stopped Harry from protesting the punishment, by warning him with a look. "Minerva, we must speak. Harry, please go back to Gryffindor Tower and let us deal with Mr. Malfoy."

* * *

Harry was greeted with applause when he entered the portrait hole at Gryffindor Tower. Chants of 'Potter got Malfoy! Potter got Malfoy' rang through the room while celebrations were underway. Food people littered the Common Room and Ron grabbed Harry from the left and hoisted his arm up.

"Bloody hell, Harry!"

"Oi, Potter how'd you do it?"

"Great job, Harry! You got rid of Malfoy! No one has seen him all day or night! What happened?" Ron shouted into Harry's ear, making the black-haired teen wince.

"Nothing really! Let's take this up to the dorm." He shouted back. Hermione followed them back up to the 6th year boys dormitory.

"So what happened then?" And Harry told them the same story of what happened with Malfoy that he'd told the teachers. He couldn't tell them what happened to Malfoy. Hermione was not one to take killing easily and Ron, well, was Ron. He then went on to explain what had happened with McGonagall and what happened in Dumbledore's office.

"40 points! That's outrageous. You should've been awarded points, mate." Ron said enthusiastically causing the first real grin of the day to form on Harry's face. Hermione was reproachful, however.

"Harry, if Malfoy had used dark magic, then what else could he know?" Harry perked up at that. Was Hermione starting to believe him?

Ron was thinking along the same ideas as Harry was. "Come off it. Malfoy? The ponce is about as cunning with magic as Goyle. Maybe he just really, really hates Harry. he probably was just trying to scare Harry off."

"Ron, think! Malfoy was talking to Myrtle? That's weird. The only girl he talks to is Pansy. Maybe Harry is right about Malfoy. I don't think Malfoy hurt Katie, but it's not surprising that he'd hurt Harry."

A feeling of great affection for Hermione washed over him. Even though she didn't completely believe him, she did have faith in him and at that moment, it was more than enough. Harry kissed her on the cheek and hugged her hard. A blush came over her whole face and neck as she hugged him back.

"Hermione, thanks for believing in me. You're finally starting to get it. Malfoy is a Death Eater."

At her doubtful look, he said, "Alright, he isn't a fully evil Death Eater, but he is dark."

Ron was still doubtful. "Okay so let's say he is dark. How do we prove it?"

Harry looked at him and suddenly remembered their second year when they wanted to know if Malfoy had opened the Chamber of Secrets. And now he's closed in it. Wait.

"Polyjuice potion, Ron. The same way we did it before."

"I'm not eating cat hairs again!"

"Crabbe tastes disgusting!"

"Quiet! Not you two, me. Make a ton of the potion and keep it on supply for me Hermione. I'm the best fighter out of us three. If I get caught then it'll be my problem, won't it?"

"Dumbledore wanted you to stay out of trouble." Hermione said warningly.

"If he wants to do it, let him, Hermione." Ron argued back "And trouble finds him anyway. Harry didn't want to fight Malfoy, but he had no choice."

_That's right I had no choice. _Harry looked down and grimaced, but it went unnoticed by either of his best friends.

"Ron, who is he going to pretend to be? I don't think it's safe enough. And do you think Slughorn will allow us to take ingredients?"

"Forget it. Hermione's right. It's a dumb idea." _I'll do it alone._

"Let's just go to sleep for now. I have detention starting tomorrow. Might as well get some sleep while I can."

"He's right, let's just sleep for now."

Harry and Ron bade Hermione a good night and got ready for bed.

"You think they'll find Malfoy?" He heard Ron ask from the next bed over. After several seconds, Harry breathed out one word.

"No."

Harry could mentally picture Ron nodding at his answer. "If he used dark magic, then he's probably gone over to You-Know-Who."

_I used dark magic to kill Malfoy. Does that make me dark?_

* * *

"Professor!" Snape turned to see Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe, and Goyle hurrying over to him. "We've looked everywhere for Draco. I don't think he's in the school ground anymore."

What was Draco thinking? Potter wasn't the kind to kill Malfoy and dispose of the body properly. So, why did Malfoy run away? Had the Dark Lord sent him a new mission? Was he instructed not to trust him anymore? Did his family know?

"Did you look in the usual places Mr. Malfoy goes to?" Hopefully the two boys weren't such idiots that they wouldn't get his hint, not that he knew the exact location of wherever Malfoy had set up his base of operations, but he suspected some parts of the castle.

"Yes, Professor, we even went to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and nothing is there. Why he spent time talking to Myrtle instead of me is ridiculous." Pansy started going off on her own tangent and Snape had had enough.

"Enough Miss Parkinson. Take 30 points for Slytherin for taking care of one of our own. Now go to bed. I will look for Mr Malfoy, myself."

Those three were useless. He'd have to talk with them each individually. _Did Potter know more about what Malfoy was planning than he did?_ Snape walked off down the hall to look into more unused dungeons for him with little hope in his heart.

* * *

"I believe Potter, Albus. He was more angry than he usually is when it comes to his rivalry with Malfoy."

Dumbledore took his half-rimmed spectacles off rubbed at his nose. Things were not going well. "Minerva, you know how those two are. I don't think we'll ever get those two to reconcile."

"The Cruciatus Curse, Albus. If Malfoy used it then we must take him into custody." She cautioned her mentor, sitting down.

"Yes, but Draco is still young. He can learn from the error of his ways and become a great wizard." He argued back. McGonagall sat back in her and said the one thing he did not want to hear.

"I doubt Potter cares anymore for whatever good you see in Malfoy. The Cruciatus is unforgivable for a reason. If no one can find Malfoy, shouldn't it be clear that he ran away to join You-Know-Who?"

"And if he is just scared and just wants to run away from Voldemort and the Ministry?"

"Then we should help him, certainly. Just don't be surprised if you don't like the results of his actions."

Dumbledore ignored this last warning and said, "Perhaps we should check Hogsmeade, as well."

"I'll floo the Aurors."

* * *

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